Careful What You Wish For

Arnold Kling writes about talk radio and ends with:

Still, I think that the medium is the message. I do not think that radio, TV, or Youtube are going to produce strong intellectual discourse. I believe that the written word is the best medium for that. If conservatives master other media, they may win some political battles, but not any intellectual war.

There follow comments:

On the right, because we're assaulted by the leftist-media complex on a daily basis, we're constantly having our beliefs challenged. You can't escape the left's ideas, they come from the New York Times, all the papers that pick up stories from the Times, Time, Newsweek, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC, NPR, etc. etc. etc.

and

Until the residents of those well-educated counties come to be educated by non-left anthropologists, historians, law professors, political scientists, and sociologists--and until, after they graduate, they are daily reminded of the application of what they were taught by MSM personnel who were similarly educated--the GOP will increasingly be the party of the uneducated.

and

"Conservative talk radio is bombastic." That paints in too broad strokes. Not all right-wing talk radio is alike. Bill Bennett, Michael Medved, and Dennis Prager are consistently thoughtful, willing to engage those with differing views, and respectful of others. Mark Levin is smart but screams and rants too much. Limbaugh is smarter than he sometimes gets credit for, but deviates from ideas too much because he loves ridiculing his enemies. Savage is worthless. Can't speak about Hannity or Beck, because I've only seen them on T.V., where they don't come across as subtle thinkers.

and

There is all sorts of good, *smart* conservative talk radio. I agree with Peter - Limbaugh gets sold short.

And to Prager, Medved and Bennett I add Hugh Hewitt; sharp, incisively intellectual, especially on matters of jurisprudence. Dennis Miller is also a treat. Jason Lewis is perhaps too intellectual for his own good.

and

The conservative talk show host don't argue 'intellectual' beliefs. They argue personal freedoms and property rights. What is "careful, reasoned" about that? Simple ideas are usually the best.

The intellectual arguments for conservatism await their champions.